Spending time with your children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews is a fulfilling and joyous experience that can make you feel like a kid again, too!
Whether you’re playing catch in the park or going out for a family dinner at Nucci’s Pizza, you want to cherish the moments you get to spend together.
Unfortunately, many parents and grandparents notice that as they get older, children’s voices become harder to understand. This is often due to age-related hearing loss.
Age-related Hearing Loss and High-pitched Sounds
People with normal hearing can process sounds between 20 to 20,000 Hertz (Hz). If you have hearing loss, your frequency range starts to narrow. Most cases of hearing loss related to aging are high-frequency hearing loss. This means that higher-pitched sounds become harder to hear.
Because children have higher-pitched voices than adults, you may struggle to understand what they say more than when you are talking with people who have deeper voices.
Additionally, you may struggle to hear women’s voices more than men’s, as well as common sounds like:
- Birds chirping
- Alarms beeping
- Music from higher-pitched instruments like flutes
- Consonant sounds are spoken at a higher frequency than vowel sounds. This can cause you to feel like you can’t understand what someone is saying even though you can hear they are speaking to you
How Common is Age-related Hearing Loss?
Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is quite common. According to Johns Hopkins University, one in three adults over the age of 65 has hearing loss. However, because it often comes on gradually, many adults don’t realize they may have a problem until years after a hearing loss has started to occur.
Can You Prevent Hearing Loss?
You can’t control the aging process or genetic factors that may contribute to your likelihood of developing hearing loss. However, you can take other steps that may help to lower your risk. These include:
- Reducing your exposure to loud noise and using hearing protection like earplugs when attending loud events.
- Listening to headphones at no louder than 60% of their maximum capacity.
- Staying physically active and eating a healthy diet to improve blood flow to the ear.
- Getting regular hearing screenings starting at the age of 50 to help catch hearing loss early.
Hearing Aids Can Help Keep You Connected to Your Children and Grandchildren
Though age-related hearing loss cannot be cured, it can be effectively treated with hearing aids. Your audiologist can help you find custom hearing aids that are programmed to amplify high-frequency sounds, making it easier to enjoy birthdays and family dinners with those you love the most.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment for a hearing test, contact M.K. Larson Audiology today.
